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by FluffyDestroyerofSouls
Summary: KNIGHTS OF REN origin story. I tried typing my description in 3 times and this website messed it up so read on to find out more I guess
1. Fear and Force

**Takodana, 28 ABY**

"HAN SOLO!"

He could hear Maz Kanata shout his name before he even came through the door. He entered the palace and gave Maz a sideways grin. Chewie followed behind as Maz approached. She smiled as he entered.

"You brought me my boyfriend!" She shouted over the band that was playing close to the door, hugging his furry leg. Chewie put an arm around her and let out a growl.

"Well, he needs to let you visit me more often, when you aren't here stirring up some sort of rebellion mischief!" Han gave her an annoyed look. She knew it wasn't his choice to get involved in matters of the Resistance.

"Come with me," she said, pulling herself away from the wookie and leading them back to a circular booth away from the rest of her guests. Han and chewie slid into the booth. She jumped up and sat in Chewie's lap. Han rolled his eyes. "I assume your wife told you I contacted her."

"No, we just decided to take a day trip to grab more fire whiskey," Han's sarcasm was unwavering. Maz gave him a look. He sighed, "I assume that this has something to do with Luke's search for students."

Luke's search had been going on for several months now. Several of the students that had been chosen were related to prominent members of the Republic, with whom Leia had been working to gain favor. As word had spread through the elite circles of the Republic, hundreds of people had contacted Luke, wishing to have their children enrolled in the temple. Luke became increasingly angered at this sudden surge of popularity, fearing his Temple would turn into nothing more than an elite boarding school. He knew his nephew would despise the very concept. Without a formal Jedi council to assist him in the rejection of unworthy students, he decided to enlist the help of Maz and a few other, select Force- sensitive people throughout the galaxy to assist in the discovery of children who have proven to already be awakened- connected- to the Force.

"A spy located in Canto Bight discovered a girl hiding in an alley, using the Force to convince a man to rent a room at a nearby hotel and give her 5,000 credits."

"Hmm, impressive." Han said, raising his eyebrows. Luckily Ben hasn't tried that on me…as far as I know…

Maz cleared her throat loudly, sensing that Han's mind was getting ready to wander back to a place it often went: fear of his son. He mumbled an apology.

"As I was saying…" Maz motioned for one of her bartenders to bring them a round of drinks and food as she continued, "He was able to stop her rather easily, which surprised him. He said the poor thing was frightened beyond belief, and that fear seems to be what gives her strength with the Force-"

"Another tragic backstory, I assume?" Han interrupted. He knew the story of Leia's father, Anakin. He was born a poor slave, and fear of loss led him to the Dark side. He might not know much about the Force – might not even believe in it at all, for that matter- but he but he knew that a Force user raked with fear was not something to be lightly dealt with.

"… More tragic than you would like to know." Maz said, seemingly unwilling to divulge the girl's past to him. "It's bound to send her spiraling toward the Dark Side. In terms of how powerful she currently is, well, it's likely nothing compared to your son's power, but it has gone uncontrolled for who knows how long. Living in Canto Bight while this awakening takes place puts her in a place of great danger, with the First Order's elite vacationing there often. Leia agreed."

"So Luke wants to take my son and a bunch of Force- sensitive delinquents and turn his temple into a- a- a Jedi reformatory?" Han scoffed. He knew Luke was trying to do with his son and these other children when he had always tried to do- use his legendary powers to save others. He had saved his father, or so he said, during the war against the Empire. But no one else knew about that. He believes he can do the same with Ben, this girl, and the other students his makeshift advisory council had discovered- remove the darkness from them through guidance. Part of him wished that Luke would just accept twelve children whose parents had the deepest pockets. Their parents would be pleased, they would make money for the formation of Leia's Resistance, and Luke would truly be able to focus on helping Ben.

"Luke is trying to do the right thing, Han." Maz said gently. "You just have to trust him."

Han sighed. " What choice do I have anymore?"

The three sat in silence for a moment, before Chewie decided to speak up.

"They were planning to leave Cantonica this morning. They should be here in a few hours." She handed Han another drink before he could complain, motioning for him to relax while they waited.

* * *

Before the ship even landed, Maz could feel the pain. It wasn't sharp and stabbing as it is when one feels profound tragedy. It was smoldering, but constant, wafting its way into her presence like smoke from the undying embers of a long- burning, far- off forest fire. Chewbacca let out a concerned growl as he watched her stare off in the distance. She patted his arm, asking him to let her down from his lap. He obliged, but gave her a concerned, sideways glance. She looked up at her favorite Wookie, and caught the confused glance of a tired Han Solo as she did.

"They're here." She said, looking back toward the castle door from their table in the far back corner of the room. Han gave her his typical look of surprised annoyance, a peculiar expression that he normally gave whenever he knew the Force was at work.

"Already? But I thought you said he was going to be a while."

Maz ignored him as she made her way to the door. The pain became stronger, a sign that the ship had landed. Normally, she would push the feelings of other force users away, but this type of pain had caught her off guard. It worried her. She wanted to meet the child alone. Han's attitude would do nothing to help calm her, she sensed.

An elaborate cruising vessel was parked outside of her palace. A dashing man in an elegant suitcoat, mustache perfectly trimmed, hair gelled back, had exited the vessel and was walking toward her. Beside him, wrapped in a blanket, was a short girl with long, disheveled brown hair. The stark contrast in their appearances made the pair rather shocking to look at side- by- side. Although she appeared relatively calm on the surface, her eyes betrayed her true feelings, as they tend to do. Her abilities with the Force were so uncontrolled, her true feelings emanated from her like the stench of a bantha herd in the desert heat, which only added to her soul's betrayal.

"Well if it isn't my favorite code- breaking boyfriend," Maz said as the pair got closer. He chuckled, giving her a small, formal wave.

"Don't let your Wookie hear you say that," he said with a grin. "I'd like to leave with all of my limbs attached to my torso, thank you very much."

Maz turned her attention to the girl, gazing deep into her dark green eyes, concentration causing her to frown. The girl shifted uncomfortably as Maz stared at her, her fear now breaking through to her face.

"This is Kira, the girl I contacted you about." The Codebreaker said to Maz. He nudged Kira with an elbow and indicated that she kneel down so she could be face to face with Maz. She cautiously obliged, her blanket falling off her shoulders as she did to reveal an oversized tunic, obviously borrowed or stolen from someone much larger than her. Maz got closer to the girl, bringing her glasses down in front of her eyes. She let out a sigh after what felt like an eternity to Kira.

"My poor child," Maz said softly, gently resting a hand on the girl's knee. "Your emotions betray you."

"W-what do you mean?" Kira whispered, her eyebrow furrowing in a look of confusion and worry.

"Fear. It has built up inside of you, and your connection to the Force is allowing it to spill out. I was able to feel it before you landed."

"My... what?" Kira asked in a small, confused whisper. Her eyes widened and she sat back on her feet. Maz held her hand and continued.

"I can see it in your eyes. They are attached to a soul that has seen much sorrow." Kira looked away when she said this, her vision clouding with tears she had told herself not to cry for many years. She bit her lower lip to prevent it from quivering. Maz gently cupped Kira's cheek with one hand to bring her gaze back. "You must learn to properly control your emotions. The more you allow them to build up inside you, the more likely they are to betray you to those who wish to manipulate and harm. Those who are strong with the Dark side of the Force."

"I'm sorry," Kira said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand as she stood up, "but I don't have any idea what you're talking about. I'm grateful for being saved from my life in Canto Bight, but I have no idea what sort of force you think I am tapping into. I just... I have a knack for hypnotizing people it's nothing that special!" She shook her head and took a small, nervous step back as she spoke, her voice shaking slightly.

"You have a unique gift, child." Maz said with a grin. "It is why you have been chosen to train with the last Jedi Master in the galaxy."

Kira shook her head as she took another step back. Tears had begun to stream down her cheeks. She was so confused, she was unsure of how to even voice the questions that she had spinning around in her mind. The Codebreaker grew tense, preparing to halt any escape attempt.

"You will understand more in time." Maz said as she removed her glasses, her voice gaining an even gentler tone. She also sensed that the girl might run to the forest. "Luke will teach you all you need to know. Now come."

Kira slowly walked toward Maz, who led her back to the castle.

"I suppose I will take my leave then, seeing as I am no longer needed here." The Codebreaker said nonchalantly.

"You will stay in your ship until my boyfriend leaves, Mr. LaPlume." Maz said, turning to wink at the man. "Don't think I'm going to let you get away that easily! It's not every day you visit me from across the galaxy."

Han and Chewie stood by Maz's statue, waiting for them.

* * *

Kira sat behind Chewbacca in the cockpit. Her mind felt as if it were numb after thinking over everything she had been through in the past two days. Her head began to ache from mild dehydration due to the endless, silent tears she had been shedding since she boarded this ship. Her life on Cantonica had been recently filled with hardship and loss, but it was still her home. Even if that home had become more of a prison as of late, being across the galaxy was much more anxiety- inducing than she had originally thought. Mr. LaPlume had given her a choice when he caught her; she could either stay in Canto Bight as a freed slave, or come with him to meet someone that could help her " learn to control her fear." She hadn't considered her parents in that moment of deal making. Her realization of just how selfish she had been came to light as they made their way to the Pirate Queen's castle.

There was an awkward tension in the air that none of the them seemed to feel up to dissolving. Han never had to deal with this sort of emotion from Ben. While his son was very emotional, he typically took to breaking the nearest thing to him instead of sitting in a corner and crying. If he did, well, he never did it within earshot of Han, at least. Han knew that the girl was trying to keep to herself. She wasn't grabbing for his attention or a concerned display of sympathy. He respected that. After an hour of silence, however, he felt the need to change whatever topic it was that caused the girl to be in this fragile state. He'd be damned if he was made to feel uncomfortable in his own cockpit.

"So, kid...how old are you?" Han asked cautiously, turning to look at Kira.

She straightened up in her chair and shook her head, snapping back into reality when she realized he was talking to her.

"Eighteen, Mr. Solo"

"Please, call me Han." He said, scoffing at the formality. He looked back at her. "Eighteen, huh? That'll make you one of the younger ones at the Temple."

"How many students are there?" Kira asked, tilting her head. She should have assumed that she wasn't going to be the only pupil to a supposedly living legend, but she hadn't exactly given much thought to just how many other students there might be at the Training Temple.

Han groaned and scratched his head, trying to count. Chewie barked an answer before he could finish.

"You will be student number thirteen." He translated for her.

"So... you work for Master Skywalker then?" she asked after a short pause.

Han laughed at the question, " No, kid. I'm just doing a favor for my wife. "

Kira stared at him, confused.

"Who is your wife?"

Chewie and Han looked at her, then each other."Leia Organa," Han answered.

Kira thought for a moment. Canto Bight had its share of wealthy Senators pass through its casino on political holidays. The name was one she had heard many a time from them.

"You mean the Senator?"

"Senator, Princess, General... she's many things."

"But... Why would a senator of the Republic arrange for me to be sent to a Jedi Training Temple?"

"Luke is her brother. He's very...picky about who he trains."

His answer felt incomplete, but before Kira could ask him to tell her more, a large, green planet appeared in front of them.

"Welcome to Naboo."


	2. Arrival

**NABOO, Same Day**

Never show weakness. That had been her motto for years now. It kept her alive in a cruel world. She had already let her emotions get out of hand today. She felt embarrassed, realizing just how much of a blubbering, whimpering idiot she had appeared to be to Maz, Mr. LaPlume, Han, Chewbacca… they all must think her weak. Her right hand balled into a fist at the thought. It wouldn't happen here. Her new teacher, her fellow students… none of them were going to see her as weak. She refused to allow it. She tied her hair back into a braid, which she wrapped into a bun on top of her head as they neared the planet.

The Millenium Falcon pierced through the clouds and fog as it descended through Naboo's atmosphere. They passed over tree- covered mountains and lakes the same blue hue as sapphires, coming to rest in a field greener than anything Kira had seen on Cantonica. On a hill some ways away stood an opulent, domed building; it looked as if it had been carved into the hill where it rested at the time of the planet's creation. Several huts made of wood and stone dotted the hills and field surrounding it, connected by a trail that appeared to be worn out from over use.

No more looking like an unkept, fragile victim. She thought to herself one last time, a harsh resolve coming over her as she looked at her reflection in the cockpit windshield. Chewie and Han made their way to the door. Kira stood by her seat for a moment, in awe of a single beam of light that burst through the clouds to shine down on the Temple, squinting as the golden dome let off a blinding reflective light.

"Hey, kid, get over here!" Han's shouting from the ship's door brought her out of her trance. She joined him and Chewbacca by the door, watching as it lowered to the ground.

The sky was filled with thick, dark clouds in the process of parting, allowing sunlight to burst through and dot the landscape like many large spotlights. They walked down the ramp and into the field. Walking through damp grass was a new experience for Kira. The ground was firm yet slightly… squishy? She looked down at her feet and walked in a small circle. Had she stepped in something foul? She looked at the bottom of her boots. They were wet, but there was nothing stuck to them. It was definitely the ground, then. But how? Why was it like this? Were they sinking into some sort of hidden pit?

Han couldn't hold back a laugh this time. Kira froze in place and looked m up at him, slightly confused expression still on her face, which was quickly turning red at the realization that she was the only one having this reaction to the ground.

Shit. Kira could see the amused look on not just Han Solo's face, but on the face of a young man that was approaching them. His face only showed it for a moment, but he had noticed, nonetheless. Her heart sank slightly, realizing her ability to come off as a poker- faced girl with no fear had been uprooted by a state of confusion caused by the ground. She felt like she wanted to disappear. Apparently, this feeling was normal to all except her.

Standing up straight, she walked over to Han, trying to ignore the weird feeling of the ground as it squished underneath her. Before them stood a man cloaked in a brown robe. He removed his hood to reveal a bearded face and greying hair. That must be Master Skywalker, thought Kira.

Ahead of him walked the young man who grinned at her confusion. His dark, slightly curly hair surrounded his face. He was thin, dressed in a simple, white tunic. He was also almost a foot taller than her. His face seemed slightly annoyed as he stared at Han.

"Come to abandon another person here, have you?" His deep voice had an unstableness to it, as if he was trying to hold in anger. The man next to him gave him an angry look. Han sighed.

"It's good to see you too, son." Han said dryly, seemingly unsurprised at his son's passive aggressive attitude. Kira was surprised by the revelation—Han didn't seem to be the fatherly type.

Master Skywalker made his way over to Kira.

"So, you are the girl from Canto Bight."

Kira nodded, a sudden wave of nerves rendering her speechless. Ben looked up at her when he heard from where she came. He seemed… unimpressed. Of course he is… no one who claims to actually be from a gem- covered dung heap such as Canto Bight should be considered in any high regard.

"What's your name?"

Crap. She gulped.

"K-Kira, sir." She stuttered, her voice coming back. Damn my nerves.

"I'm Master Luke Skywalker," He turned to gesture at the grand building behind him. He gestured at Ben to step forward. He obeyed. "This is my nephew and oldest padawan, Ben Solo."

Luke looked back at the boy, who had looked over at Kira and grinned. She grinned back, then. He then turned to Han Solo and smiled. "Thank you for your help, old friend."

"Don't thank me, thank your sister. It was her idea."

Luke's eyes glistened in amusement as Han spoke. "I suppose you're off to Hosnian Prime to see her, then?"

"No, I'm off to meet with a gunrunner in the Outer Rim."

"Still smuggling, then?"

"What kind of man would I be if I wasn't? Besides, I'm not a fan of politics." Han turned to Kira. "Good luck, kid."

Chewie hugged her goodbye. She smiled up at him "So long, Chewbacca."

"Don't leave just yet, Han. I'd like to discuss something with you."

Luke motioned to Kira as Han and Chewbacca walked back to the ship. She walked over to him. He looked at her, then he looked over at his apprentice.

"How old are you, Kira?"

"Eighteen."

He nodded in acknowledgement of her answer, then looked off towards the temple, thinking.

"Ben," the man said without looking at him. Ben looked at his teacher, an eagerness in his eyes.

"Yes, Master?"

Luke was silent for a moment. "Go and show our new Padawan around the Temple. Get her a place to stay. Introduce her to the others. I will meet with her privately tomorrow. I will consider allowing you to help in her training. She has a lot of catching up to do if I am to train her with the rest of her peers."

"Thank you, Master Skywalker," Ben said with a bow. He motioned for her to follow him as he turned around and walked toward the temple at a fast pace. She ran to catch up to him, and even then she found herself needing to jog to keep up with his long legs and quick pace.

"Could you maybe slow down please?"

Ben stopped and let out an annoyed sigh. He turned to look down at her.

"Look, could you at least make an effort to try and control your emotions?" He said, frustration drenching each word. Kira's eyes grew wide upon hearing this. She had reigned in her fear and sadness on the flight here, or so she thought.

"I thought I already had."

Ben raised an eyebrow as if her admission worried him. "You mean, this is how you normally are? This is you when you are calm?"

What is his problem? Kira thought angrily. Why was it that every person she had met today decided it was of the utmost importance to tell her how kriffing emotional she was?

"I mean I'm a little nervous because I'm on a strange new planet and your shouting isn't exactly doing anything to help calm me down!" Kira shouted, standing on tiptoe as she glared into his eyes.

Ben raised his hands up to his shoulders and backed up, in an attempt to quell her anger. He clenched his jaw and looked around. They were halfway to the temple at this point.

"Listen, Master Skywalker is very critical of things one might consider a weakness, or a path to the Dark side of the Force." His voice became less harsh as he continued to speak. "If you show up to the temple tomorrow with this same aura of…fear. He's going to make an example of you."

"Well isn't it Master Skywalker's job to show me how to control my emotions?" Kira asked, crossing her arms. "Surely, a great teacher wouldn't go out of his way to make an example out of a student."

Ben laughed and shook his head.

"Fine, then. If you truly want to learn from 'Master Skywalker' tomorrow, I won't take that away from you." His voice walked a thin line between sincerity and condescension.

He walked ahead at a slower pace, so she could keep up with him. Kira felt uneasy. She knew there was something that Ben wasn't telling her- he made it obvious. He wasn't trying to upset her, she thought. He seemed like he was trying to… protect her from something? She threw that thought from her mind. She was safe now. With Master Skywalker here, there was nothing her fellow Padawan could possibly need to protect her from. She hadn't had friends since… well, since before her parents… changed. But that was long ago, when she was much younger.

Kira nodded and fell back into silence- she was terrible at keeping conversation, and didn't quite know what else to ask him. If she was going to be here, she might as well try and get to know someone. She turned to Ben as they walked.

"So... how long have you been training with Master Skywalker?"

"You mean my uncle?" He said with a smirk, looking thoughtfully up the sky as he clasped his hands behind his back. "Technically, he's been training me my whole life. In small ways, at least… but he's only been Master Skywalker for about a year."

They stopped at the bottom of a long staircase now. Kira gasped as she looked up and saw the Jedi Temple looming over them from atop the hill. The sheer size of it left her in awe, but her heart sank when she realized just how many steps were between them and the temple itself.

"Is climbing hundreds of stairs one of the requirements for becoming a jedi?" Kira asked unhappily.

Ben laughed as he took one step up.

"Consider this your first training session," he said, then began climbing at a shockingly fast pace, taking the stairs two at a time.

"Oh for Kriff's sake," she mumbled to herself, then shouted after him, "wait for me!"

She attempted to take the stairs two at a time as Ben had, but her legs proved to not be cut out for the task. She switched to climbing each step individually. She pushed herself harder to catch up with him. He reached the top of the staircase long before she did.

"Hurry it up!" He shouted down to her. She cursed at him profusely in her head as she maintained her quick pace, unable to go any faster for fear of falling. When she finally reached the top, she doubled over, panting.

In front of them was an elaborate entrance; several elaborate, 20- foot tall marble pillars led to a massive pair of golden doors. Kira straightened herself out, in awe of its beauty. Ben, used to its beauty, walked ahead.

"We need to get you some robes. Its against the rules of our temple to go through the doors without proper attire," Ben said, frowning as he eyed her borrowed clothes. "I suppose you will have to be the exception."

He started opening the door, then turned to her and added; "Keep close and don't talk. I don't want the other padawans finding you before you're properly dressed."

Kira nodded in understanding, walking right next to Ben as they entered the temple. She jogged to keep up with his long stride. They had entered a seemingly endless hallway made of the same elegant marble as the pillars outside. Before she could properly absorb her surroundings, Ben pushed her into a doorway. This caught her off guard.

"Hey, what the f-" Ben put a hand over her mouth and shushed as he opened the door, pushing her through.

They were in a large linen closet, filled with piles of laundry. Ben began digging through a pile of white tunics. He found one that looked as if it would fit her and held it up to her chest to size it. Kira glared at him as he stared at her.

"Excuse me," She said harshly, grabbing the tunic away from him. Ben took a step back, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Sorry… just trying to help."

"I think I can find clothes for myself, thank you."

Kira turned to the pile of clothes and grabbed a few tunics, pants, and a brown robe while Ben watched awkwardly. When she was done, she turned to leave, but Ben stood in her way, staring at the door.

"Uhm… I'm ready to go?"

"You… have to change before we can re- enter the temple." He said awkwardly.

Kira let out an annoyed sigh.

"Well… can you at least stand outside the door while I do that?"

"Oh… yeah, sure, sorry." Ben mumbled as he exited into the hallway.

Kira changed quickly, then stared at the brown robe in her hand for what felt like ages. This would be one of the only things she wore for the rest of her time here at the Temple, which more likely than not would end up being the rest of her life. It beats what I had to wear for the last four years by a long shot. She thought to herself as she donned the cloak as she left the closet. Ben turned to look at her and grinned. She smiled back.

"How do I look?" She asked half- jokingly, twirling as she did so.

Ben opened his mouth to answer, but jumped when he heard shouting coming from down the hall. He frowned, then turned back toward the entrance.

"Come along, we have to find you a hut to stay in." He said, folding his arms behind his back as he quickly made his way towards the door. Kira ran after him, which seemed to be an ongoing trend for them.

"Wait, who else is in here?" She asked after him.

"No one… just other students…" He said dismissively. He stopped and waved his hand, causing the door to open. Kira turned in the direction of the shouting.

"Well…Shouldn't I meet them?"

"Not tonight." Ben said, clenching his jaw. He grabbed Kira's arm and pulled her through the door, allowing it to slam shut behind her.

"But I thought I was supposed to meet-"

"I don't think tonight is a good time for that. It's getting dark, the other students will want to head off to bed soon. Not the best time for introductions."

Well he's obviously got something to hide. Kira thought to herself. She wanted to demand an answer, but the yawn she felt coming on told her she didn't have the energy to bother with it tonight. She followed him around the side of the temple, where a dirt path led back to several of the small huts Kira had seen earlier.

They walked what felt like a mile on an obviously less traveled path which jutted off the main road. They finally reached the first hut on the path. Its torch remained unlit, unlike the other huts which could be seen lighting the landscape. In the little light that remained from the sunset, Kira could make out thick vines that had crawled up the side of the wall.

"This," Ben said, motioning to the dilapidated shack, "is currently the only available room. You could technically room with another student, but I will leave that decision to you. I'd personally recommend keeping this one to yourself. It's much less… stressful."

"Thank you for your help, Ben."

Another awkward silence fell upon them.

"If you need anything, I live at the end of this path. Try to get some rest. I will come and get you before your meeting with Master Skywalker." He waved his hand by the torch as he walked past it, and it ignited with a small pop, which startled Kira.

As Ben walked down the path, Kira opened the door to her new home. It was small, but spacious when she considered that it would be hers alone. Back in Canto Bight, she shared a room of this size with three other girls. One wall contained a small window, covered by a cloth curtain. Below the window stood an empty desk. On the other side of the room was a small bed, upon with a folded blanket and a pillow had been placed.

Kira took off her cloak and draped it over the chair that accompanied her desk. She unfolded the blankets and placed them on the bed, removed her boots, and settled in. There was a small hole in the ceiling, likely designed as an outlet for smoke from a fire on cold nights. Through this hole, she was able to stare up at the star- filled night sky. The view was something she couldn't get back on Cantonica, unless she wandered off far into the desert. She felt a sense of childish wonder return to her as she lay peacefully on her new bed. She took in a deep breath of the fresh air and smiled. This is what it feels like to be free... resting in a bed without worrying...feeling at peace. Her eyelids began to feel heavy as time went on, and she fell into a much needed sleep at last.


	3. The Not- So- Welcoming Committee

**** Warning for sensitive material ahead!** insinuated violence/ PTSD style flashbacks**

Chapter Three

"Come **here** , girl!" The familiar, terrifying voice of her master Ruhk Teemu yelled, raising his hand and taking swing at her. Kira cried out as she dodged the blow. She tried to run, but her feet felt heavy, as if she was sinking into a collapsing sand pit.

Panic. So much panic. I have to get out… I have to run…She thought to herself, feeling groggy as if she had been drugged. This furthered her panic. Not again… I have to run and hide. Run. RUN! Her mind yelled at her legs to move faster, but they wouldn't.

"This is the third time I have had customers come here and complain about you!"

She was still trying to run, but Ruhk grabbed her hair and dragged her away. The world around her was blurry and vague, but a familiar door came into her vision, clear and sharp. She screamed. Not there… no… please… not there. She cried as she fought against Ruhk's grasp on her head.

Kira's fighting and screaming became more desperate as they neared the door. She looked to the other, older women around her for help, begging them to step in, to do… something. Anything.

They turned away as she passed by. Pretending not to see. Fearing repercussions if they did. Or simply not wanting to intervene. As Ruhk's hand turned the knob on the door, she felt her fear well up into… something. An energy. Was it a rush of adrenaline? Maybe. But it felt… different. It was some sort of energy that made her feel as if an invisible root system was connecting her to the ground, to the walls, to everything, like some sort of awakening to the energy of the universe. She wondered just what sort of drug had been slipped into her drink.

Then the door opened…

"No, Please!" Kira screamed into the morning air as she sat upright in bed.

She breathed heavily, looking around her room. Golden sunlight formed a gentle halo around the fabric curtain that covered her window. A chirping noise came from outside her hut.

"Kriff, it isn't real." She said to herself, breathing a sigh of relief, her head falling back onto her pillow. It was followed by a wave of terror at the realization of what this meant. Nightmares weren't new to Kira. She had plenty in her lifetime. But she had never had any nightmares about things that had actually happened to her. Ones that seemed so real, as if all the time that had since passed since that moment was only a day dream.

She felt at peace while watching the stars the night before, thinking her time as a slave was going to be a thing of the past. All the horrible things that happened in Canto Bight were going to be behind her.

Apparently, her mind had other plans.

She got out of bed and grabbed her tunic off the floor where she had thrown it before falling asleep. She quickly rebraided her hair, opting to let it hang down her back today. She grabbed her cloak from the chair before opening her door and- walking right into something.

She screamed and jumped back.

"Sorry!" exclaimed an equally surprised Ben Solo, who stood in front of her. He was wearing a brown tunic and pants today, instead of the white outfit Kira had seen him in the night before. He had a tight grasp on a metallic tube that was attached to his belt. He relaxed his grip on it when he realized Kira was safe.

"What are you doing here?" Kira asked as she recovered from the scare.

"Well I was planning on walking you up to the Temple today, but I heard you scream so I came to see…" He seemed to notice something on her face, his eyes narrowing slightly, brow furrowing with concern. "Were you crying?"

Kira cursed under her breath and brushed the tear on her cheek away with her sleeve.

"It's nothing, I just…" She thought about how to explain it to him without divulging the truth about her past.

"You don't have to explain it if you don't want to," He said gently. His voice had a softness to it that caught Kira off guard. She found it comforting in a way. She looked into his warm, brown eyes and sensed glimmer of… empathy? This too caught her off guard, for it seemed almost as if he knew what memory had just been playing inside her head. Unlikely. She thought to herself.

"Nothing to explain… it was just a nightmare," Kira mumbled as she took in one deep, staggered breath and pushed past him.

She looked out at the distant, blue- tinted mountains, which were still partially cloaked in darkness; she slowly turned to take in her surroundings, squinting as the sun came into view from behind the Temple. Her hut was situated on the top of a small hill. Below her was the green, flower- dotted field they had landed in the night before, and past it, a wide, gushing river. The river was fed by several waterfalls, which flowed over the edges of a large plateau.

"Don't worry," Ben said softly, standing beside her as she admired the view. "I get them too…We all do."

Who exactly is we? Kira thought, a sense of curiosity sparking up inside her. She quickly smothered that spark. She didn't want to talk about this. Not with someone she just met. Not with anyone, honestly.

"So… what's going to happen today?" Kira asked, changing the topic. They started walking down the path toward the Temple.

"Well, Master Skywalker will probably want to see you in private before your training begins. He'll decide whether or not he wants you to train privately with me."

"You don't train with the other students?"

Ben shook his head.

"Why?"

He blushed, pale face turning rosy.

"That's a bit of a long story… I am much farther along in my training than the others. I've been awakened to the Force for as long as I can remember, and while I wasn't formally trained in a Temple setting until recently, I've been living with him since I was sixteen."

"So… why would I need to be trained separately? Am I like…really advanced?"

Ben chuckled.

"Quite the opposite, actually. You were the last to awaken to the Force… and you're pretty behind in training, considering you just got here."

He was rather blunt in his delivery, which caused the truth in what he said to suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks. She had never considered just how new she would be compared to the others. She never even considered that there were others, actually. But now that she knew that there were, she was obviously far behind her peers. A whole year behind, apparently. To make it worse, they had had their connection for much longer than she had. It was also likely that none of them had the same background she did. They had probably explored their abilities in a much… friendlier environment.

She couldn't believe Master Skywalker was even willing to take her on as a Padawan now, knowing her peers had been training together. What would they think of her…and her past?

Well, there's no way I'm telling anyone here about my past… not that I ever wanted to anyway.

As they approached the Temple, Kira could see a small group of people sitting under a tree. They seemed to be watching as Kira and Ben approached. One padawan, a Twi'lek girl, smiled faintly at them. Kira, too nervous to return the gesture, stared straight ahead as she passed. As they entered the Temple, the sounds of laughter echoed from inside. The pair made their way down the long hallway, the sound of their footsteps bouncing off the slick walls. The voice of a young man rang out.

"Kick his ass, Jazen!"

They passed the source of the noise about halfway down the hall, where a large sliding door was halfway open. Inside, two people were fighting with wooden rods in the center of the room, while four students laughed and cheered them on from the sidelines. Ben walked over to the door and pushed it open, frowning. The group of onlookers fell into an immediate silence when they noticed the door's movement.

"What are you doing?"

One of the boys- a skinny lad with an unkempt mop of orange hair- had fallen to the ground. The other boy, a tall, handsome boy with dark brown hair, leaned over him, weapon raised to deliver a blow. He lowered his weapon and chuckled at the sight of Ben in the doorway.

"Hey there, Benny," he said in a mocking tone. Ben's chin quivered ever so slightly at the unexpected response. His face hardened, eyes glaring as he raised his hand from his side. The wooden rod in Jazen's hand flew through the air and landed in his own hand. Jazen groaned, "Benny boy, you're SUCH a kill joy…"

"Master Skywalker has made it clear that fighting in this Temple is-"

"Hold on," interrupted Jazen, pointing at Kira with a sly, lopsided grin. "Who's this?"

Kira jumped when she realized she had been noticed. Ben ignored the interruption and continued his lecture, his hand clenching into a fist as he stepped in front of Kira, blocking her from view.

"- Strictly forbidden. You-"

"Hush now, Benny, let the young lady introduce herself," Jazen said, eyeing Kira as he took a step forward. She took a few steps forward to prevent Ben from blocking her view.

"Kira… I'm Kira."

A girl with long, dark hair rolled her eyes.

"Well, now we know what was making us all feel like tauntauns in a slaughter house last night."

Kira blinked, surprised by the amount of hostility in the girl's voice. A blonde- haired girl laughed as she passed Kira and sat down next to Jazen. Kira looked at the rest of the people in the room, confused.

"Uhm… excuse me?"

The group of students who were outside now squeezed by them to enter the room. Ben put a hand on Kira's shoulder to signal that they needed to continue down the hallway. The Twi'lek girl from earlier ran to the boy who was on the floor, helping him up.

"Jazen!" Master Skywalker shouted, throwing the doors completely open as he stormed into the room. The other padawans stood up straight and froze, looking at the floor.

"Master Skywalker." They said in unison. Jazen glared at the floor, eyes wide. Luke walked up to him, causing the young man to slowly meet Luke's gaze, like that of an animal that has been caught misbehaving by its owner.

"Yes, Master?"

"The rules of the Temple have always been crystal clear! Fighting between padawans is strictly forbidden. You of all people should know how strict the Senate's Temple rules are, considering your father is on my advisory council."

"Yes, Master," Jazen said as he looked back at the ground. "Sorry, Master."

Luke turned to look at the other students in the room.

"Since you were all so keen to play along with this fighting, today will be a day of meditation for all of you. No Force training will occur."

The room remained silent as Luke walked over to Ben.

"Just because I gave you the honor of raising you to the level of Jedi Knight does not mean that you have the authority to step in for me and attempt to discipline your peers."

Ben looked at Luke with an expression of shock, seeming almost insulted. His hand tightened back into a fist.

"But, Master, I -"

"We will discuss this later," Luke growled.

He turned to the other students and waited for them to sit down before heading back out the door, motioning for Kira and Ben to follow him. They did so in silence, walking behind the Master Jedi as he led them to a large, ornate pair of golden doors, which opened on their own as the trio approached. Behind the beautifully crafted doors was an equally ornate, round room composed mainly of marble. Bookshelves were embedded in the walls, which stood at least eighty feet high. A domed, golden ceiling loomed above them, decorated with an elaborate, gilded mural depicting what she assumed were major events of the Galactic Civil War. Kira had only ever learned of the events of the war from her mother, as bedtime stories, mainly. Canto Bights large population of Imperialist sympathizers and war lords didn't exactly allow for such lessons to be taught in schools or discussed comfortably in public. Too much bad blood, too much money lost... Not something people come to Canto Bight wanting to hear about.

While the destruction of the Death Star was featured prominently in the center of the mural, the images surrounding it mainly depicted celebrations and times of peace. Hosnian Prime was designed in a rather heavenly air, with rays of light emanating from the Capital building as if it were a star itself.

Part of Kira still couldn't believe she was going to be trained by the legendary Jedi her mother had told stories of in hushed tones as she tucked her in at night. A small part of her hadn't even entirely believed that these stories were even entirely true.

Luke cleared his throat, waking Kira from her daydream. She lowered her gaze from the ceiling. Luke grinned, appreciating her interest in the mural above them.

"Welcome to the Temple library. These shelves contain copies of every known Jedi text that was able to be recovered from the last Jedi Training Temple, in addition to other, broader topics at the request of some of our more… well versed students," Luke glanced over at Ben, who stared at the ground, a small, somewhat proud grin on his face. "Feel free to help yourself to any of the books here, they are here to help you gain knowledge in all subjects. One of the goals of this new Temple is to create Jedi who have great control over the Force, and great wisdom, so they understand how to wield their power in sensible, peaceful ways, allowing them to maintain this great era of we now find ourselves in."

Kira grinned at his words in a somewhat disbelieving way. He's got to be kidding. Does this man not watch the news?

Living in the rougher area of Canto Bight had exposed Kira to a more realistic perspective on this era of peace; the perspective mainly being that this supposed era had already come to an end. Arms dealers had once again started frequenting the casinos and upscale brothels of Canto Bight, purchasing people and property at a rate her mother had told her hadn't been seen since the last war. There was only one obvious reason for these merchants of death to be back in their town with more frequency.

"Padawan." Luke said sternly, staring at Kira. She had once again gotten lost in thought as she stared at the vast amount of books stacked before her. Not wanting to voice her disagreement, she blushed and bowed her head.

"Sorry, Master Skywalker."

He looked over at Ben and gave him a wide- eyed look; an understanding glance that seemed to convey the memory of a past conversation. Ben smiled, nodding in understanding. It was the happiest Kira had seen him since she met him.

"Seems she will make a worthy apprentice for you, nephew."

Kira quickly turned her gaze back to Luke, slight disappointment welling inside her.

"Wait, so… I won't be training with the others?"

"Of course not!" Luke shot back, as if he were amused at how absurd the thought of her training with the group was. Kira still didn't understand. Luke rolled his eyes, then looked back at Kira. It was at this time she first noticed just how tired he appeared to be. "Your gross inability to control your own outpouring of fear is dangerous. If I were to allow you to train among other, less disciplined students on a daily basis, why- I would be putting the safety of all in this Temple at risk!"

Kira shrank back, feeling as if she was an unclean, sickly street urchin being scorned in the street for panhandling. She turned to look at Ben, thinking he might come to her defense. He mouthed the words "I told you so" back to her. She glared at him before looking back at Master Skywalker.

"You are here because I see great potential in you, but until you learn how to control your fear, and gain better discipline in your use of the Force, you will not be allowed to train or even socialize with the other padawans. You would do nothing but make a spectacle and embarrassment of yourself, as you did last night. The unsettling anxious air that settled over the ground you walked on was overwhelming for all who came across it. No one will want to be around you until you learn to- " Kira stormed out the doors before he could finish cutting her down to size. She turned to the left and ran down the hall, a tear running down her cheek.

"…Control your emotions," He finished, staring at the empty space where Kira had been and letting out a tired sigh.

"Don't you think that was rather harsh, Uncle?" Ben asked angrily, clenching his jaw. Luke glared at his nephew.

"I am tired of having to discipline behaviors that I allow to continue with these radically untame, powerful teenagers! Now that we are planning on bringing in younglings next year, I would like to start putting my foot down immediately," He leaned against one of the large tables in the center of the room and pointed after Kira. "THAT level of emotional outpouring would have never been tolerated in a Training Temple of the past. It's best she knows that now. You know it was all for the best, Ben. After all, I did the same with you when-"

"I remember what you said to me last year, Uncle. It doesn't mean I agree with it," Ben said bitterly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Master, I need to find my student."

Luke waved his hand, slamming the large doors shut before Ben could leave.

"Not so fast."

Ben stopped in front of the doors, clenching his jaw in frustration. He spun around to face Luke.

"What?" He spat, anger beginning to creep into his voice. Luke gave him a look.

"We need to talk."

"About what?"

"You know what, Ben."

Luke glanced down at the wooden rods that Ben held in his hand. Ben tightened his grip on them.

"They're just old broom handles. What's the big deal?"

"Don't play dumb with me, kid. We both know why those rods were in the training room."

They stood in silence, Ben refusing to admit to any wrongdoing.

"Dammit, Ben! The Senate council gave me STRICT guidelines for how I was to be training this new generation of Jedi. Their stance is clear- no combat training until the level of Jedi Knight has been granted."

"That is a RIDICULOUS rule and you KNOW it!" Ben's shouted he pointed at his Uncle. All efforts of appearing to be calm melted away. "What is the point of HAVING control over the Force if we can't use it to defend ourselves, defend the ones we love? Its pointless and you kn-"

"It is not your place to go directly against MY orders and the orders of the Senate and start this ridiculous little fight club behind my back! Why I have proper cause to demote you back to padawan immediately!"

Ben stood in silence as he glared at Luke, nostrils flared. Luke sighed again, rubbing his forehead and closing his eyes. He took a deep breath to compose himself before standing tall and taking a few steps toward his nephew. He held out his hand, motioning for Ben to hand him the rods. Ben walked forward and shoved them into Luke's outstretched hand.

"Don't let me catch you doing this again. Your friends will likely be promoted to the level of Knight in a few months. Let them be deemed worthy in the eyes of the Senate… in the eyes of your mother… before they are trained to use a lightsaber."

Ben scoffed before giving a small bow to his Master. Behind him, the doors to the library flew open as if blown by a powerful wind, startling Luke. Ben turned quickly and stormed through them, turning left to follow Kira. He slammed the doors shut behind him, causing a loud thud to echo through the large, empty library.

 **A/N**

 _ **Yay, Ben on getting a padawan, I guess? Yay, sketchy secret fight club!**_

 _ **I will hopefully post chapter 4 by the end of this weekend! I hope you all enjoyed what I have here so far. With this fic, as is the case with most of my fanfics, I have the middle and end plotted out pretty well, but I sort of suck at getting the ball rolling on a beginning. Leave me some comments with any helpful tips! Thanks for reading!**_


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